Ladder breaker



A ril 12, 1966 J. 5:. GREEN 3,245,496

LADDER BREAKER Filed Nov. 5, 1964 JOHN C. GREEN 22 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,245,496 LADDER BREAKER John C. Green, 2404 Handley Drive, Fort Worth, Tex. Filed Nov. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 409,072 3 Claims. (Cl. 182157) This invention relates to folding ladders of the type wherein hinged sections, in side by side relation on each side of the ladder, are pivoted intermediate their ends to provide side rails. The inner sections of the side rails have rungs connected therebetween, and the hinged ends of the sections have latches for securing the same together when the ladder is in its extended position. Such ladder is illustrated and described in my prior United States Patent No. 3,004,624 which issued October 17, 1961. The ladder is extended by placing a foot on a lower rung or cross bar and the upper portion of the ladder is lifted until the sections comprising the inner and outer portions or stringers of the rails are in line. The user progressively fastens the latches at the hinged joints as he climbs the ladder, and, conversely, he unfastens the latches as he descends. To break the ladder, while holding the same in an upright position, it was necessary to push separate sections of adjoining stringers away from each other at or near two of the adjacent hinge joints. The separation of two adjacent joints near the bottom of the ladder successively separated adjacent joints thereabove, but because of the multiple of joints acted upon, considerable physical strength was required.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for initially separating adjoining hinged joints in a ladder of the described class just prior to folding the same, which device is constructed and arranged so as to apply substantially equal forces to corresponding joints on each side of the ladder.

Another object, in addition to the foregoing object, is to provide a device for the described purpose which is permanently mounted on the ladder and available for use at all times, but out of the way when not in use.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of the lower end of a folding ladder and showing the location of the present invention thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the lower end of the ladder shown in FIGURE 1 and wherein the ladder is in its extended position, and additionally showing the operators toe on the present breaker device just prior to the operation thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the breaker device in its actuated position.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational View of the folding ladder in its extended position.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG- URE 4 but showing the ladder in an intermediate position.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the ladder in its folded position.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of two side by side sections of a rail and a latch fastening the two sections, and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 and showing a spring arrangement for normally positioning the length of the breaker parallel with the ladder rails.

. 3,245,496 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 ice The ladder 10 illustrated in theaccompanying drawing is comprised of elongate sections 11 of equal length, and pairs of which are pivoted to each other at their centers on the ends of certain ladder rungs 12. Conventional non-skid feet 13 are provided on the lower ends of the lowermost sections 11.

The sections 11 are oppositely hinged at the end corners thereof, the hinged sections of one stringer being oppositely arranged with reference to the other stringer of the same side rail so as to provide a lazy tong construction. The hinges are identified in the drawing by the numeral 14. The latches, generally identified by the numeral 15, are comprised of plates 16 secured to the forward lower surfaces of alternate inner and outer sections 11, and which plates depend therebeneath where they have vertical slots 17 for receiving hooks 18 mounted on other plates 19 secured to and depending from the rear surfaces of alternate outer and inner sections. The first plates 16 are L-shaped at their lower ends and are posi tioned across adjacent stringers when the ladder 10 is extended. Pivoted latch bars 20 are mounted on the first plates for engagement with the hooks IS.

The present invention is primarily comprised of a foot lever 21 mounted half-way between the lowermost inner sections 11 near the lower ends thereof. As best shown in FIGURE 1, there is a transverse support 22 connected between the lower outer sections 11, and which support has brackets 23 between which one end of the foot lever 21 is hingedly secured by a pivot pin 24. The extending end of the lever 21 may be provided with a foot pedal 25.

The lower inner sections 11 have a lower rung there between and herein referred to as a striker bar 26. Preferably, the length of the lever 21 is convex along the edge positioned to make contact with the striker bar 26. As shown only in FIGURE 8, there is a wire spring 27 around the pivot pin 24, one end of which spring makes contact with the lever 21 and the other end with the transverse support 22.

In operation, after the latches 20 have been released from the books 18, and while the ladder 19 is in its eX- tended upright position, the operator places his toe on the pedal 25 and moves the lever 21 in the direction indicated by the arrows, FIGURES 2 and 3. The cam ac tion of the lever 21 on the striker bar 26 causes the lower pairs of sections 11 to separate. By reason of the described lazy tong construction, the pairs of pivoted sections 11 thereabove are separated, after which the ladder 10 is lowered to its folded position as shown in FIG URE 6.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a foldable ladder of the type wherein the runners thereof are comprised of inner and outer stringers and wherein each stringer is comprised of elongate sections oppositely hinged at the corner ends thereof, the sections of said inner and outer stringers being arranged in side by side relation and pivotally connected intermediate their ends, the hinged sections of one said stringer being oppositely arranged with reference to the other said stringer so as to provide a lazy tong construction, and rungs connected between the inner said stringers; a breaker for said ladder, said breaker comprising a lever pivotally mounted substantially midway be 3 4 tween and supported by the lowermost outer sections and References Cited by the Examiner arranged to swing in an are parallel with the length of UNITED STATES PATENTS said ladder, and a striker bar connected between the lowermost said inner sections, said striker bar being 942,683 12/1909 Vaghi 182 157 located to be contacted by said lever. 5 1,178,028 4/1916 Cruse 248*277 2. The combination defined in claim 1, and wherein g; gigi i i f ::::7 722 5;

the edge of said lever position to contact said striker bar is convex relative thereto. 3. The combination defined in claim 1, and including HARRISON MOSELEY Pllmmy Examl'zel' spring means normally maintaining the length of said 10 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. lever parallel with the length of said ladder. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FOLDABLE LADDER OF THE TYPE WHEREIN THE RUNNERS THEREOF ARE COMPRISED OF INNER AND OUTER STRINGERS AND WHEREIN EACH STRINGER IS COMPRISED OF ELONGATE SECTIONS OPPOSITELY HINGED AT THE CORNER ENDS THEREOF, THE SECTIONS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER STRINGERS BEING ARRANGED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS, THE HINGED SECTIONS OF ONE SAID STRINGER BEING OPPOSITELY ARRANGED WITH REFERENCE TO THE OTHER SAID STRINGER SO AS TO PROVIDE A LAZY TONG CONSTRUCTION, AND RUNGS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE INNER SAID STRINGERS; A BREAKER FOR SAID LADDER, SAID BREAKER COMPRISING A LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN AND SUPPORTED BY THE LOWERMOST OUTER SECTIONS AND ARRANGED TO SWING IN AN ARC PARALLEL WITH THE LENGTH OF SAID LADDER, AND A STRIKER BAR CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LOWERMOST SAID INNER SECTIONS, SAID STRIKER BAR BEING LOCATED TO BE CONTACTED BY SAID LEVER. 